"Leather," But Actually Polyester... 160,000-Won Elementary Backpack Caught with False Label

Benetton backpack labeled as leather but actually polyester
Six products lack clear manufacturer/importer information... all pass safety tests

With the new school year just around the corner, elementary school backpacks for lower grades priced well over 100,000 won are enjoying strong popularity, but it has been revealed that a significant portion of the information on their labels, which serve as the "face" of the products, is inaccurate. In some cases, the lining material of the bags was labeled differently from what was actually used.

A student selecting a backpack. The products shown in the photo are not related to the article. The Asia Business Daily DB.

The Busan Consumer Association announced on the 24th the results of safety and quality tests conducted on lower-grade children's backpacks (for users aged 13 or younger) from 10 brands with high consumer preference. As demand for high-priced brand bags has recently increased, the tests were carried out to provide rational product information. Among the 10 products tested, the least expensive bag was Hazzys' "Sophia Tiara Backpack" at 37,800 won, while the most expensive was Daks Little's "New Spangle Backpack" at 174,100 won.

According to the test results, all 10 products met the safety standards, including those for detecting harmful substances. However, some products were found to have falsely labeled their materials. In the case of the 169,000 won Benetton "Bling Moving Backpack," it was labeled as a leather product, but tests confirmed that both the lining and outer material were made of polyester (textile). The MLB "Athleisure String Lightweight Backpack" (109,000 won), which also costs more than 100,000 won, was labeled as having a polyurethane and nylon outer material and a polyester lining, but in reality, both the outer and inner materials were polyester.

There were also many cases of poor management of product labeling. Six out of the 10 tested products had insufficient importer or manufacturer information in their online labeling. Five brands - MLB "Athleisure String Lightweight Backpack," National Geographic "Balls Backpack," New Balance, Benetton "Bling Moving Backpack," and Kangol "Lani Backpack PE 0002" - did not properly indicate the importer, and for Daks Little's "New Spangle Backpack," it was difficult to identify the manufacturer. The North Face "Kids Dreamy School Pack" did not include the manufacturing date on the product label, and the country of manufacture was labeled as "origin," which was deemed in need of improvement.

Fortunately, in both the chemical safety tests, which check for the presence of toxic substances, and the physical safety tests, which examine structural defects in the backpacks, all 10 products were rated as "compliant." No harmful substances such as phthalate plasticizers, formaldehyde, lead, or cadmium, which parents are concerned about, were detected. In addition, all products met the standards for physical safety, including sharp edges on the bags and the strength of magnetic components, indicating that they are safe enough for use.

Meanwhile, the Busan Consumer Association sent the test results for each product to the companies, and most of them replied that they had accepted the points raised and had either taken corrective action or planned to do so. The Busan Consumer Association stated, "Improvements are needed to enhance the accessibility and readability of product label information," adding that "it is necessary to improve the accuracy of the labeling content and to strengthen quality control systems."